Weird Exotic Fruits Around The World Awakens Your Curiosity

Some people don’t like the word “exotic” – others jump at the opportunity to say that this or that fruit isn’t exotic anymore or isn’t Exotic Fruits for this or that country. But you know what? I like the word exotic – it awakens a curiosity within me, an excitement of a world that perhaps is not yet as mainstream as people make it out to be. Sure, the world does feel smaller and smaller, and there are foods in our supermarkets today that nobody would have ever heard of 10 years ago – but to me, there are many fruits that I have yet to taste or only had the privilege of trying once – and those, in my opinion, are exotic …Why and How To Be Vegetarian On Your Travels

Weird Exotic Fruits Around The World

Kiwano Melon – Africa

Also known as the African cucumber, this slimey looking melon with horns is native to the African Kalahari Desert – today you can also find it in California and New Zealand. Some people say it’s the most disgusting fruit they’ve ever tried, others say it reminds them of a blend between banana, lime, passion fruit and cucumber – an unusual blend indeed…!

Durian – South East Asia

Exotic Fruits

One of the strangest tasting experiences I’ve had is with the Durian – this big, spiky, evil-looking fruit has some dedicated fans, but even more people who avoid it at all cost.

The reason why it’s such a strange experience to taste it is because you’re fighting your own senses. Your nose tells you to stay the hell away, while your tongue tells you to continue eating.

The fruit actually tastes pretty good, but the smell is stomach-turning, which is why you will see signs everywhere in South East Asia banning the fruit. Everything from hospitals to hotels to buses put up big signs warning anyone from bringing the fruit inside.

Wood Apple – Sri Lanka

When I first saw the wood apple I thought it was inedible. The shell looks like a rock, and the insides look rotten. But don’t let the look – or funky smell, fool you, because it tastes great – if you don’t want to eat it as it is, order a wood apple smoothie or juice, and you will be hooked!

Ugli – Caribbean

This is a fruit I have yet to taste, and to be honest I had never even heard of this fruit until just a few days ago. The next time I plan a vacation in the Caribbean, this will be at the top of my list!

Just the name alone makes me want to try this fruit, and the fact that the name describes the look of it is even better!

The Ugli looks a bit like an ugly version of an orange, and tastes like a mix between a grapefruit, orange and tangerine – the fruit is a favorite among locals, can be found everywhere from tiny street stalls to Caribbean luxury resorts.

Jackfruit – India

Seriously one of the tastiest fruits I’ve ever had, the yellow flesh of the Jackfruit is sweet and mild, similar to pineapple – only better… The fruit is one of the largest tree-borne fruits in the world, so I would suggest buying the flesh by itself rather than the whole fruit.

Snake Fruit – Indonesia

Snake fruit, or Salak, is a fruit I haven’t seen anywhere outside Asia.

It looks like an imaginary snake egg, with a shell like the skin of a snake.

The snake egg has a sweet and sometimes tangy taste to it, kind of like pineapple but with a completely different consistency, like an apple, and it looks like huge peeled garlic cloves. One of the reasons you don’t see it much in places where the fruit doesn’t grow is because it goes rotten only a week after picking. Even in a country where the fruit grows it’s hard to spot the tasty ones from the bad. Be careful when eating it, avoid the red parts as they’re a bit sour, and remember that the pulp inside is inedible!

Sapodilla – Caribbean

Sapodilla is basically nature’s cotton-candy. It is super sweet, like syrup. Someone once described it as a caramel-covered pear. It’s definitely a highlight for people taking luxury holidays in the Caribbean, but picking them is an art form. As they are picked before they ripen, they must be stored in certain ways. Some bury them underground, others wrap them up in clothes to speed up the process.

Feijoa – South America

With a consistency of a pear and a flavor like something between guava, pineapple and strawberry – this fruit really has combined the best flavors in the world..! While it is native to South America, it’s mainly grown in New Zealand today – it’s also Nathan’s favorite fruit 😉 Other exotic fruits worth trying: Longan, Lychee (one of my favorites), Rhambutan, Santol, Mangosteen (yum!) and Dragonfruit (yuck!). What are some exotic fruits you have tried?

Here are some of the reasons why Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Simply the Best

Here’s a challenge for you: name different ways in which you can use olive oil. How many have you come up with? You’ll find, in fact, that it can be used in more ways than you might think: cooking, baking, salad dressings, sauces, dips, health products and to fuel oil lamps. It even plays a role in some religious ceremonies, including Catholic baptisms. The term “extra virgin” olive oil denotes a very fine grade of oil with a very low acidity, typically less than one percent. Olive oil from Greece is world-renowned and extra virgin olive oil from this relatively small country is particularly celebrated.

Greek extra virgin olive oil is considered the world’s best:

Grown on trees native to the Mediterranean area, olives have been part of Greek gastronomic practice for thousands of years. How far? Possibly as far back as 2, 500 BC and it’s believed that the Greek island of Crete was where they were first grown. With all that experience, it’s hardly any surprise that Greece trumps the rest of the world when it comes to making good oil. Olive oil consumption in Greece is high and a reported 80% of Greek olive oil produced is extra virgin — far higher than any other country. Olive oil from Italy and Spain, also big producers of olive oil, includes around 65% and 30%, respectively, of the extra virgin variety, and many other olive oil producing countries make only about 10%. So, on your next weekend in Athens, make some room in your holiday for a walking food tour to taste some of this world-famous extra virgin olive oil and learn more about the history of their product as well.

The Quality of the Olives

While you’re sitting in a quaint Greek cafe, surrounded by the Acropolis and other ancient monuments, dipping fresh bread in the finest olive oil, and tasting the local cuisine, stop to consider just what the olives went through to get there. Extra virgin olive oil is best made from perfectly ripened olives, often picked by hand to avoid any bruising. The whole olives are then pressed, without heat or chemicals, and a trained tasting panel samples the product to ensure the taste is spot on. The oil is then taken off to the laboratory to verify the oil has a very low acidity and no defects.

The Health Benefits

Studies have proved what many have claimed for years to be true: extra virgin olive oil has a number of health benefits. When you hear the world “oil,” you might assume the product is fatty and bad for you. Olive oil, however, is high in monounsaturated fats, which can actually help lower your cholesterol. The Mediterranean diet, heavy in extra virgin olive oil, has been shown specifically to lower the risk of having a heart attack and stroke. Extra virgin olive oil also contains high levels of antioxidants and has been shown to lower the incidence of some cancers and protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

As you can see from above, the Greeks sure know their stuff when it comes to olive oil. They’ve been making it so long that they could almost make it in their sleep and still make finer oil than the rest of us. Do they deserve such a fine reputation? Most definitely.

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